Posts for July 17, 2016

These are the posts that are accumulated in our newsletter which goes out every 4-6 days during the school year. The posts are organized by the major units in our Con Law (5^th ed.) student textbook.

I. Introduction to Law, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court [See TOPICS 1-10 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

II. Defining the Political System: Federalism and Checks and Balances [See TOPICS 11-15 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

GUN CONTROL

The right to bear arms has mostly been for white people [Wash Post, 7/15/16]: Gun laws, historically, weren't colorblind.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/07/15/the-right-to-bear-arms-has-mostly-been-reserved-for-whites/

III. The Political System: Voting and Campaigns [See TOPICS 16-20 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

Clinton will push constitutional amendment to 'overturn Citizens United' [Wash Post / Politico, 7/16/16]: Hillary Clinton will call for a constitutional amendment to "overturn Citizens United" in her first 30 days as president and plans to make that announcement today to progressive activists at the annual Netroots Nation conference.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/07/16/clinton-will-push-constitutional-amendment-to-overturn-citizens-united/

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/hillary-clinton-citizens-united-225658

What Donald Trump must do before the end of the GOP convention [SF Chron, 7/16/16]: No American younger than 60 has ever seriously used the words “political convention” and “must-see TV” in the same sentence — until this week. But when the Republican National Convention kicks off Monday, there will be a gravitational pull to watch it like the series finale of a Donald Trump reality show. 

http://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/What-Donald-Trump-must-do-before-the-end-of-the-8382510.php?t=8dc1d627377d4f3860&cmpid=twitter-premium

Legislation and the Legislative Process (TOPIC 20)

IV. Criminal Law and Procedure (4^th, 5^th, 6^th, and 8^th amendments) [See TOPICS 21-28 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit

For Philando Castile, traffic stops happened so often they became routine [NPR’s “Morning Edition,” 7/15/16]: And frankly, that's an understatement. Since he got his learner's permit, he'd been stopped by police 46 times — but only six of those stops were for things an officer would notice from outside a car, like speeding or having a broken muffler. The stark record raises questions about bias, race and luck.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/07/15/485835272/the-driving-life-and-death-of-philando-castile

V. 1^st Amendment (Speech, Religion, Press and Assembly) [See TOPICS 29-33 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit:

VI. 14^th Amendment, Discrimination, Privacy, Working, Citizenship & Immigration [See TOPICS 34-41 in the 5^th edition of Constitutional Law] Here are some recent articles that are relevant to this unit: